Method of playing a card game

ABSTRACT

A casino card game played between a banker and a plurality of players. A player is dealt a first and a second card after placing a wager. A banker is also dealt a first card (face up) and a second card. After examining his/her hand, a player may elect to either (1) surrender his/her hand, or (2) put up an additional wager to discard one of his/her two cards and purchase a replacement card, or (3) stand pat with his/her two cards. After each player has fully executed his/her hand, the banker exposes his/her hole card (or the second card); stands or draws in accordance with pre-determined criterion. Then, each player&#39; s hand is compared with the dealer&#39; s hand to determine a winner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to casino card games, and morespecifically to a variation of the games of Blackjack, Draw Poker, andBaccarat in which the player may draw a card in an attempt to improvehis/her hand.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

By far the most popular casino card game is “Blackjack” or “21”, whichis typically played at a semi-circular table with a maximum of sixplayers sitting around the arcuate periphery of the table. These playersplay against the dealer, who typically stands behind the table. Althoughthe game of “21” is a simple game in which each player attempts to get atotal card value of as close as possible to 21 without exceeding 21,many millions of dollars per day are wagered on this game in casinosaround the world. Despite the fact that this game has been played dailyfor decades, its popularity persists.

In a typical “21” game, the game begins by at least one player “anteingin” or placing an original bet. Each player so wagering is then entitledto first and second cards, as is the dealer. At that time, the dealerexamines his/her cards in order to determine whether the house has a“21”, in which case the game is over and the house collects each of theoriginal bets unless one the player has a “21” him/herself.

In the event that the dealer does not have a “21”, each player examineshis or her cards and elects whether to take a third card, called a “hit”card. If the player stands, the outcome of the game will result in acomparison of the player's two cards with the dealer's hand. If theplayer elects to take a hit card, however, the dealer deals a third cardto the player. Upon being dealt this third card, the player mustdetermine whether the hand is a bust, meaning that the player hasautomatically lost because the card count is worth over 21, or whetherto stand or take an additional hit card. If the player stands, the hand,now comprising three cards, is compared to the dealer's ultimate hand inorder to determine the winner. If the player elects to take another hitcard, this card is dealt to the player and the above process isrepeated. This process applies to the dealer, and of course, and if thedealer “busts”, then each of the players who are not out of the game arepaid an amount equal to their bet.

Upon the dealing of all cards, the winner of the game is determined bycomparing the hands of those players who remain in the game to the handof the dealer. As between each player's hand and the dealer's hand, thehand which is closest to 21 is declared the winner.

In the event that a player and the dealer have the same total cardvalue, the hand is normally declared a “push” and neither the house northe player wins. In the event that the player wins on a two card countof 21, the payout is normally 1.5 to 1. If the player wins with a handhaving a card count of less than 21 or a greater than two card count of21, the player is paid 1 to 1. Of course, if the player loses, his/heroriginal bet and any subsequent bet are lost to the house.

While “21” offers great excitement to the player, it has been desired tooffer the player additional opportunities to take or reject cards.Further, it has been desired to increase the opportunities for wagering,and thus increase the possible payoff to the player, enhancing theexcitement of the game.

Poker is also a well known game utilizing a standard deck of playingcards. Poker is played in a myriad of variations such as Draw Poker andStud Poker. In Poker, various combinations of cards have significance,based on both the numerical value of the cards and the suits. The basicobject of Poker is for the player to achieve a five card hand having ahigher Poker rank than the hands held by the player's opponents. Thebasic priority or rank order of winning poker hands is: Royal Flush,Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of aKind, Two Pair, One Pair and High Card(s) in hand.

It is also known to utilize wild cards in the game of Poker. Typicallyone or more types of cards from the standard playing deck are designatedas wild cards, such as deuces or one-eyed Jacks. It is also known to addan extra card or cards to the deck as wild cards and these extra cardsare conventionally referred to as Jokers.

Baccarat is one of the oldest and most popular games in casinos all overthe world. It is especially popular among high-rollers and Asiangamblers. In Macau, baccarat is extremely dominant. Although the gameseems serious and elegant, it is really as simple as betting on the flipof a coin.

There are three types of baccarat tables: Big Table Baccarat is playedin a snooty roped off area to separate itself from the other games. Theplayers are usually very well dressed and the table minimums are oftenhigh. The regular baccarat table is about the size of a craps table with3 casino croupiers and up to 12 or 14 players. Each player, includingthe player dealing, may still bet on either the player or the banker butit is customary for the dealer to bet on the banker. The deal willrotate around the table, much like the dice rotate around the crapstable. If a player does not want to deal they may pass the shoe to thenext player. The same person will keep dealing as long as the bankerkeeps winning. The person dealing will put two cards, face down, tuckedunder the shoe, and give the player with the greatest bet on the playerthe other two cards, face down. This player then looks at the cards andthen gives them back to one of the casino croupiers. Then the croupierwill turn over the cards and announce the total point value of theplayer' s hand. Depending on the total point value, the croupier maythen instruct the person dealing the cards to deal a third card. Finallythe croupiers will pay winning wagers and collect losing ones out of thedealer's tray. The player who actually deals is not assuming anyfinancial responsibility of the other players' bets.

Mini baccarat has the same rules as big table baccarat. However, unlikethe game at the big table, a dealer turns over all the cards, making fora much faster game. The odds are exactly the same as those of the bigtable, assuming the same number of decks. Mini baccarat is sometimesdealt from a six-deck shoe, changing the odds slightly. It can usuallybe found in the main casino areas.

Midi baccarat is the same as mini baccarat, except the size of the tableis larger, and it is usually found in the high-limit rooms, as opposedto the main casino floor. Usually eight decks of cards are used. Cardsare given point values as follows: ace=1, 2-9=pip value, 10 and facecards=0. At the start of a new shoe, the dealer will turn over one card.This will determine how many cards the dealer will burn, according tothe baccarat value, except a 10 or face card will result in 10 cardsburned. The cut card will be placed 16 cards from the bottom of theshoe. When the cut card appears, the dealer will finish that hand, playone more hand, and then start a new shoe. If the cut card comes outinstead of the first card, the dealer will finish that hand, and thenstart a new shoe. Play begins by all players betting either on the“player”, “banker”, or a tie. At some tables you may also bet on aplayer pair and banker pair.

After all bets are down, the dealer gives two cards each to the playerand the banker. The score of the hand is the right digit of the total ofthe cards. For example, if the two cards were an 8 and 7, then the totalwould be 15 and the score would be a 5. The scores will always rangefrom 0 to 9 and it is impossible to bust. A third card may or may not bedealt to either the player or the dealer depending on the followingrules.

Drawing Rules: There is one overriding rule in Baccarat: If either thePlayer or the Banker has an 8 or a 9, both players stand withoutexception. If neither player has an eight or a nine, cards are drawnaccording to the following rules:

The Player is the first one to draw a card. Whether or not the Playerdraws determines whether or not the Banker will draw. Here are therules:

The Player stands with a total of 6 or 7.

The Player hits (gets another card) with a total of 5 or less

The Banker's drawing rules are more complicated than the Player's rules.Here are the Banker's drawing rules:

If the Player stands, the Banker hits with a score of 5 or less.

If the player hits, the following rules apply:

The Banker always hits with a score of 2 or less.

If the Banker has a score of 3, he draws if the Player's third card isanything other than an 8.

If the Banker has a score of 4, he draws if the Player's third card is a2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7.

If the Banker has a score of 5, he draws if the Player's third card is a4, 5, 6, or 7.

If the Banker has a score of 6, he draws if the Player's third card is a6 or a 7.

The Banker always stands with a score of 7 regardless of the Player'sthird card.

The score of the player's and dealer's hands are compared; the winner isthe one that has greater point value. Winning bets on the banker pay 19to 20 (or even money less a 5% commission), winning bets on the playerpay 1 to 1, winning bets on a tie usually pay 8 to 1. In the event of atie, banker and player bets will push.

Meanwhile, the dealer will keep track of the 5% commission owed withsmall laminated markers. At the end of each shoe, or when a player wantsto leave, the dealer will collect all commissions owed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,049 to Tomaszewski (1991) discloses A game, whereina deck of 54 cards is used comprising a standard deck of 52 playingcards plus two Jokers. Each Joker has a numerical value of 7 and has nosuit value. The Face Cards and 10′s count zero, the Aces count 1 and allother cards have their face value. A player and a dealer each receive ahand of five cards. The player may discard and draw up to two cards. Thedealer must discard and draw based on pre-established criteria. Betweenthe player and the dealer, whoever has a three card combination closestto the numerical value of 21 without going over wins the hand. If theplayer and the dealer each achieve the same numerical value other than21, the hand is a push. If the player and the dealer each achieve 21,this tie may be broken based on the following hand ranking criterion:Rank #1. 6-7-8 of the same suit; Rank #2. Flush 21 (three cards of thesame suit totaling 21); Rank #3. Three 7′s; Rank #4. Pair 21 (threecards totaling 21: two 6′s and a 9, two 8′s and a 5 or two 9′s and a 3);and Rank #5. Other 21 combinations. If the tie is with the same Rank #,the hand is a push. If the player has Three 7′s (Rank #3), and thedealer has a Rank #1 or Rank #2 hand, then the hand is a push.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,407,209 to Prerost (1995) discloses An improved cardgame. In particular, it provides a modification and improvement to thewell-known card game of blackjack or 21. A player is dealt first andsecond cards after placing an original bet, and then elects to stand ortake an additional third card. If a third card is taken, the player isgiven the option of keeping the card, or replacing the card. If thethird card is replaced, an additional wager is placed by the player, anda replacement to the third card is given. The player then elects tostand or take additional cards. After the player has taken all desiredcards, the dealer's hand and player's hand are compared to determine awinner.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,309 to Bartlett (1996) discloses A Method forplaying a card game is set forth wherein a dealer deals an initial handof two cards to himself and each of a plurality of players. Dependingupon the count of his initial hand, the dealer draws a third card,stands or exposes his hand; the third card altering the dealer's count.Then each player in succession opts to stand or take a third card,however drawing a third card is precluded where the dealer's initialhand has a count of 8 or 9 or, if drawn, the dealer's third card is a 9.Upon completion of the dealer's and players' play, each player's hand isresolved against the dealer's to determine wins, losses and ties. Thegame also provides for player side bets for non-zero ties.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,445 to Quach (1997) discloses A card game and methodof playing the same played with a standard 52 card deck, wherein each ofseveral players is dealt three cards and is given the opportunity tostand pat or to exchange one card for another dealt by a non-playerdealer with the object of achieving a hand having a high score based ona numerical point scoring system in which the lowest hand score is zeroand the highest is ten. Each such score is then compared with that of apre-designated reference player or “banker” to distinguish winning handsfrom losing hands. In those jurisdictions in which it would be legal,the game may also include wagering by the players according to specificpayout rules.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,574 to Hughes (1998) discloses A method of playing acasino style type card game adapted for wagering by multiple playersplaying against a dealer. The game uses a standard fifty-two card deckand combines attributes of poker and Blackjack. Winning hands aredetermined according to conventional poker ranking rules by each playercomparing a three card hand derived from four cards dealt in a specificsequence against that of the dealer. The game also optionally includesdoubling, surrendering, awarding bonuses, insurance, and a progressivejackpot.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,310 to English (1999) discloses A method of playinga casino type wagering card game includes the initial step of eachplayer placing an initial wager. Five cards are then dealt to eachplayer and seven cards are dealt to the dealer. Each player may theninspect the original dealt hand, and elect to stay pat or discard anddraw one or two cards. If the player elects to draw, they then inspectthe new draw hand and either fold or place a second wager to stay withthe draw hand. All discarded cards are then collected by the dealer andthe dealer selects the best five card hand, based on poker criteria,from the dealer's cards. A comparison is then made between the player'shand and the dealer's selected hand. If the player stayed pat and has ahand higher than the dealer's hand, the player is awarded odds on theinitial wager. If the player stays with the draw hand, and has a handhigher than the dealer's hand, the player is awarded even money on theinitial wager and the second wager. If the dealer's hand is higher thanthe player's hand, the player loses the initial wager and the secondwager if applicable. If the player's hand and the dealer's hand are thesame rank, a “push” will result, and the player neither wins nor losesmoney.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,917 to Timpano (2001) discloses A Method for playinga Baccarat game in which players play against a dealer using a deck ofconventional playing cards or electronic representations thereof. Eachplayer wagers and is dealt two cards to form an initial hand. Any playerreceiving a pre-determined winning hand is rewarded and play isterminated for that player. Otherwise, the players may opt to take asingle additional card to forma final hand. The value of each final handis determined by summing the value of each card in the final hand moduloten, wherein face cards and tens have a value of zero, Aces have a valueof one, and all other cards have a value equal to their numeric facevalue. The wager is collected from each player receiving apre-determined losing hand and play is terminated as to that player. Adealer's initial hand of two cards is dealt and evaluated. If the valueof the dealer's initial hand is within a pre-determined range, thedealer must take an additional card. The value of the dealer's finalhand is compared to the value of each player's final hand. Wagers areresolved by rewarding players having a higher final hand value than thedealer's final hand value, collecting wagers from players having a finalhand value less than the dealer's final hand value, and returning wagerson ties.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,533,279 to Moody et al. (2003) discloses An initialhand, wherein three cards is dealt to the player and three communitycards are dealt face down. The player decides which cards to hold andwhich cards to discard. For each card that is discarded, the player usesone of the community cards as the replacement card. If the playerdiscards one card, Card #1 is used as the replacement card. If theplayer discards two cards, Card #1 and Card #2 are used as thereplacement cards. If the player discards all three cards, Card #1, Card#2 and Card #3 are used as the replacement cards. After the player hasmade his decision, all of the community cards are turned face up and theoutcome of the player's final three card hand is determined. Winning andlosing outcomes are determined based on a pay table and the amount ofthe player's wager.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,869,075 to Stavinsky (2005) discloses An ImprovedBlackjack-style game. In one embodiment, the player and dealer are dealtat least two cards and can discard and exchange one of the cards to makea final hand. In another embodiment a trump card is used to resolvepushes. The trump card can also be used for designating certain jackpotawards. In still another embodiment, face cards of Jacks through Kingsare assigned values other than the traditional value of 10. In anotherembodiment, losing player wagers are inventoried and either recapturedor lost based upon the outcome of the subsequent hand. In anotherembodiment the player makes two wagers and plays a traditional Blackjackhand. To resolve the second wager the player's hand receives additionalcards (if necessary) to have at least five cards representing a winningor losing Stud Poker hand.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,334,794 to Snow (2008) discloses A poker-type card gamecomprises at least one player making at least one ante wager in thepoker-type game at least against a dealer/banker's hand. The playerreceives a first number of cards and the dealer receives a second numberof cards that is at least one card more than the number of cardsreceived by the player. A set of community cards is provided that areused by the dealer and the player. One of the dealer's cards is exposedto the table to provide an exposed dealer card. The dealer is compelledto discard the exposed dealer' s card if the rank of the exposeddealer's card is within a first range of values and the dealer iscompelled to discard an unexposed dealer' s card if the exposed dealer'scard is within a second range of values. After resolving the status ofthe dealer's hand, the player may be allowed to amend the initial oneante wager. The player may also make two separate ante wagers, one ofwhich may be withdrawn upon seeing the dealer's up card or theresolution of the discard and retention requirements by the dealer.Different amounts and proportions of Second Ante wagers and/or PlayWagers may be made on the respective ante wagers, such as 1 time, 1.5times, 2 times, 3 times, or more with respect to the amount of the firstante wager.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,416,187 to Forster (2008) discloses A gaming method. Toplay the game at least two card representations are provided to aplayer. Each card representation comprises a symbol having acorresponding predetermined value. Two card representations are providedto the dealer. A blackjack game outcome is determined by comparing thevalues of the player and the dealer's card representations. The playerwins if the sum of the predetermined values of the player's cards ishigher than the dealer's. Two of the player's cards and two of thedealer's cards are used for playing a game of poker. Two-card pokervalues are defined, and a poker game outcome is evaluated based on theplayer's and dealer's two card representations. The player wins if theplayer's two card combination has a higher poker value than the dealer'stwo card combination.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,618,043 to Hayden (2009) discloses Methods of playing aBaccarat card game variation are presented including: providing a52-card deck of playing cards; placing a wager a player bet line or abanker bet line by a player, where the wager includes a player bet linewager and a banker bet line wager; dealing a pair of cards to each of abanker hand and a community hand, where the banker hand includes abanker face-up card and a banker face-down card, and where the communityhand includes a first community face-up card and a second communityface-up card; if a community hand sum is less than 4, dealing acommunity hit card to the community hand; if the community hand sum isgreater than 6, standing on the community hand; and if the communityhand sum is greater than 3 and less than 7, optionally dealing acommunity hit card to the community hand.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,803,043 to Jackson (2010) discloses A method of playinga wagering card game for a single player or a number of players usingstandard playing cards having a standard rank and involving standardpoker hand rankings or modified rankings for Three Card Poker.RTM.games. The players play a draw poker game against a dealer's stud pokerhand. Each player's hand contains fewer cards than the dealer's hand,but the game is resolved with final hands of equal amount of cards.After an Ante wager, a plurality of cards is dealt to each player, and aplurality of cards is dealt to the dealer. Following predetermined houserules, each player then may decide to execute one or more of thefollowing options: Surrender, Fold, make a Play bet, make a Double Downbet, or make a Draw bet. The player may or may not discard a card tomake the Draw bet. After all of the players' hands have been fullyexecuted, the dealer then adds one or more additional face-up cards tohis hand. Outcomes of a comparison of hands are determined bytraditional poker rules and standard poker rankings. Wagers are thenresolved according to a predetermined pay table.

United States Patent Application 20100264593 authored by Tsung disclosesA card game which has three card hands in a round. A player may change asingle card in the three-card hand. A player compares three card handsfor hand strength first categorizing hands into classes; wherein thehighest special hand is the three of a kind. The second highest specialclass is the three face card hand. A standard hand class is below twospecial hand classes.

It is an object of the present invention to design a new card game thatcombines the best features of Blackjack, Poker, and Baccarat. It is afeature of the present invention to utilize a standard deck of playingcards to designate a new ranking criterion based on combinations of twocard hands.

It is an advantage of the present invention that a new and exciting, yetvery easy to learn, card game has been created combining the bestfeatures of Blackjack, Poker, and Baccarat.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A Blackjack-type card game comprises at least one player making at leastone ante wager against a dealer's hand. A standard deck of 52 cardswithout a Joker is used. The player receives two cards and the dealerreceives two cards. One of the dealer's two cards is exposed. Thepresent invention is offered under the trademark DRAWor noDRAW.

In order to provide more excitement to the game and the player with morecontrol and opportunity to win, the player after reviewing his/her twocards along with the dealer's exposed card, has the options of eithersurrender his/her hand and lose half of his/her original wager, or putup an additional wager equivalent to half of his/her original wager todiscard one of his/her two cards and purchase a replacement card, orstand pat with his/her two original cards to play against the dealer'sfinal hand.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A card game is played with at least one player hand competing againstone dealer hand, using a standard poker deck of 52 cards without aJoker. Any number of decks may be used, but in one preferred embodiment,four decks of cards are shuffled together for use. If more than oneplayer is involved, the dealer deals the cards singly from the firstoccupied player's spot to each player who has placed a wager and thedealer him/herself, continuing in a clockwise fashion and ending withthe dealer. The first of the dealer's two cards is dealt face up. As tothe players, their two cards are normally dealt face up, although,depending on the number of decks being played and house policy, it ispossible to deal these two cards face down.

Once a player has been dealt two cards, the player must elect to (1)surrender his/her hand and lose half of his/her original wager, or (2)put up an additional wager equivalent to half of his/her original wagerto discard one of his/her two cards and purchase a replacement card, or(3) stand pat with his/her two cards. When a player elects to surrenderhis/her hand, the dealer collects half of said player's original wagerand return the other half to said player, the play is terminated as tothat player. When a player elects to discard one of his/her two cards,the dealer collects an amount equivalent to said player's originalwager, and then deals a card to replace said player's discarded card.

After all of the players' hand have been fully executed, the dealerturns over his/her hole card, and stands if the total value of his/hertwo cards is 5 point or above. Otherwise, he/she discards and draws onecard in accordance with the rules established by the house. If a dealerneeds to discard and draw a card, he/she needs to discard the card thathas less point value, e.g., getting rid of a 10 in the event thathis/her hand consists of a J and a 10. A J has less point value than aQ; a Q has less point value than a K. When a dealer's hand consists of a9 and a 5, he/she needs to discard the 5 and draw to the 9. When adealer's hand consists of an Ace and a Deuce, he/she needs to discardthe Ace and draw to the Deuce.

Then, the dealer compares his hand against those of the players. In theevent that the total point value of a player's hand is higher than thedealer's, the player wins. If the total point value of a player's handis lower than the dealer's, the player loses. When both the dealer andthe player have the same point value in their hand, it is a push, andthe wager is returned to the player. In the event that more than oneplayer is involved, the actions rotate clockwise from the playerimmediate to the dealer's left.

In a preferred embodiment, HANDS ARE RANKED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER[>Symbolizes higher than]AA>KK>QQ>JJ>1010>99>88>77>66>55>44>33>22>9-point >8-point>7-point>6-point>5-point>4-point>3-point>2-point>1-point>0-point.K, Q, J, 10 count zero. All other cards count as their face value. If,in combination of two cards, the total point value of said two cardsexceeds 10, e.g. a 9 plus a 5=14 that hand counts as a 4-point hand, asin the game of Baccarat.

In an alternative embodiment, HANDS ARE RANKED IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER[>Symbolizes higher than]AA>KK>QQ>JJ>1010>99>88>77>66>55>44>33>22>9-point >8-point>7-point>6-point>5-point>4-point>3-point>2-point>1-point>0-point.K, Q, J, 10 count zero. All other cards count as their face value. If,in combination of two cards, the total point value of said two cardsexceeds 10, e.g. a 9 plus a 5=14 that hand counts as a 4-point hand, asin the game of Baccarat. A hand consists of an Ace and an 8=9-pointbeats a hand consists of a King and a 9=9-point. K, 9 beats Q, 9; Q, 9beats J, 9; J, 9 beats 10,9; 10,9 beats 7,2; 7,2 beats 6,3; 6,3 beats5,4, and etc. Simply put, the better of the two cards that has the sametotal point value is determined by the ranking ofA>K>Q>J>10>9>8>7>6>5>4>3>2. A hand consists of a Q and a 10=0-pointbeats a hand consists of a J and a 10=0-point. A hand consists of an 8and a 5=3-point beats a hand consists of a 7 and a 6=3-point, since an 8is higher than a 7.

While the above description contains many specifications, these shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but asexemplifications of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. Manyother ramifications and variations are possible within the teaching ofthe invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determined bythe appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by theexamples given.

1. A method of playing a card game among a banker and a plurality ofplayers, each player wagering against the banker's hand, the methodcomprising: (a) providing a wagering surface or a table for theplacement of wagers; (b) providing and shuffling one conventional pokerdeck of 52 cards without a joker; (c) each player placing at least onewager against the banker's hand; (d) dealer dealing first and secondcards into each player's and the banker's hand in a clockwise fashionending with the banker; (e) player examining the first and the secondcards and electing to either (1) surrender his/her hand and lose half ofhis/her original wager, or (2) put up an additional wager equivalent tohalf of his/her original wager to discard one of his/her two cards andpurchase a replacement card, or (3) stand pat with his/her two cards;(f) dealer collecting half of a player's original wager and returningthe other half to said player, upon said player electing to surrenderhis/her hand; and picking up said player' s cards and placing them in adiscard rack; (g) when a player elects to discard and draw one card,dealer collecting an amount equivalent to half of said player's originalwager, picking up said player's discarded card before dealing a card toreplace said player' s discarded card; (h) upon all players having fullyexecuted their hands, dealer turning over his/her hole card, and standsif the total value of his/her two cards is 5 point or above; (i) dealerdiscarding and drawing one card if the total value of the dealer' s twocards is below 5; (j) dealer discarding the card that has less pointvalue and retaining the card that has a higher point value, e.g.,getting rid of the 10 if his/her hand consists of a J and a 10; andgetting rid of the Ace if his/her hand consists of an Ace and a Deuce;(k) comparing each player' s hand against the banker' s, wherein handsare compared in descending ranking order as follows: a hand containing apair of Aces beats a hand containing a pair of Kings; a hand containinga pair of Kings beats a hand containing a pair of Queens; a handcontaining a pair of Queens beats a hand containing a pair of Jacks; ahand containing a pair of Jacks beats a hand containing a pair of Tens;a hand containing a pair of Tens beats a hand containing a pair ofNines; a hand containing a pair of Nines beats a hand containing a pairof Eights; a hand containing a pair of Eights beats a hand containing apair of Sevens; a hand containing a pair of Sevens beats a handcontaining a pair of Sixes; a hand containing a pair of Sixes beats ahand containing a pair of Fives; a hand containing a pair of Fives beatsa hand containing a pair of Fours; a hand containing a pair of Foursbeats a hand containing a pair of Threes; a hand containing a pair ofThrees beats a hand containing a pair of Deuces; a hand containing apair of Deuces beats a hand containing a total of 9 points; a handcontaining a total of 9 points beats a hand containing a total of 8points; a hand containing a total of 8 points beats a hand containing atotal of 7 points; a hand containing a total of 7 points beats a handcontaining a total of 6 points; a hand containing a total of 6 pointsbeats a hand containing a total of 5 points; a hand containing a totalof 5 points beats a hand containing a total of 4 points; a handcontaining a total of 4 points beats a hand containing a total of 3points; a hand containing a total of 3 points beats a hand containing atotal of 2 points; a hand containing a total of 2 points beats a handcontaining a total of 1 point; a hand containing a total of 1 pointbeats a hand containing a total of zero point; [when the dealer's and aplayer's hands contains the same pair or the same point value, it is atie or a push]; (1) dealer settling wagers with each player in aclockwise direction; collecting wagers on a losing hand, and rewardingwinning hands with equal wagers.
 2. The method of claim 1(b), whereinsaid dealer may use multiple decks of cards.
 3. The method of claim1(d), wherein said player's card may be dealt face up or face down,while the banker's first card is dealt face up.
 4. The method of claim1(h), wherein the pre-determined criterion of 5-point may be changed tohigher or lower.
 5. The method of claim 1(1), wherein said dealercollects each player's cards and places them in a discard rack rightafter the wagers are settled.
 6. A method of playing a card game among abanker and a plurality of players, each player wagering against thebanker's hand, the method comprising: (a) providing a wagering surfaceor a table for the placement of wagers; (b) providing and shuffling oneconventional poker deck of 52 cards without a joker; (c) each playerplacing at least one wager against the banker's hand; (d) dealer dealingfirst and second cards into each player's and the banker's hand in aclockwise fashion ending with the banker; (e) player examining the firstand the second cards and electing to either (1) surrender his/her handand lose half of his/her original wager, or (2) put up an additionalwager equivalent to half of his/her original wager to discard one ofhis/her two cards and purchase a replacement card, or (3) stand pat withhis/her two cards; (f) dealer collecting half of a player's originalwager and returning the other half to said player, upon said playerelecting to surrender his/her hand; and picking up said player' s cardsand placing them in a discard rack; (g) when a player elects to discardand draw one card, dealer collecting an amount equivalent to half ofsaid player's original wager, picking up said player's discarded cardbefore dealing a card to replace said player's discarded card; (h) uponall players having fully executed their hands, dealer turning overhis/her hole card, and stands if the total value of his/her two cards is5 point or above; (i) dealer discarding and drawing one card if thetotal value of the dealer' s two cards is below 5; (j) dealer discardingthe card that has less point value and retaining the card that has ahigher point value, e.g., getting rid of the 10 if his/her hand consistsof a J and a 10; and getting rid of the Ace if his/her hand consists ofan Ace and a Deuce; (k) comparing each player' s hand against thebanker' s, wherein hands are compared in descending ranking order asfollows: a hand containing a pair of Aces beats a hand containing a pairof Kings; a hand containing a pair of Kings beats a hand containing apair of Queens; a hand containing a pair of Queens beats a handcontaining a pair of Jacks; a hand containing a pair of Jacks beats ahand containing a pair of Tens; a hand containing a pair of Tens beats ahand containing a pair of Nines; a hand containing a pair of Nines beatsa hand containing a pair of Eights; a hand containing a pair of Eightsbeats a hand containing a pair of Sevens; a hand containing a pair ofSevens beats a hand containing a pair of Sixes; a hand containing a pairof Sixes beats a hand containing a pair of Fives; a hand containing apair of Fives beats a hand containing a pair of Fours; a hand containinga pair of Fours beats a hand containing a pair of Threes; a handcontaining a pair of Threes beats a hand containing a pair of Deuces; ahand containing a pair of Deuces beats a hand containing a total of 9points; a hand containing a total of 9 points beats a hand containing atotal of 8 points; a hand containing a total of 8 points beats a handcontaining a total of 7 points; a hand containing a total of 7 pointsbeats a hand containing a total of 6 points; a hand containing a totalof 6 points beats a hand containing a total of 5 points; a handcontaining a total of 5 points beats a hand containing a total of 4points; a hand containing a total of 4 points beats a hand containing atotal of 3 points; a hand containing a total of 3 points beats a handcontaining a total of 2 points; a hand containing a total of 2 pointsbeats a hand containing a total of 1 point; a hand containing a total of1 point beats a hand containing a total of zero point; [when thedealer's and a player's hands contains the same pair or the same pointvalue, it is a tie or a push]; (1) dealer settling wagers with eachplayer in a clockwise direction; collecting wagers on a losing hand, andrewarding winning hands with equal wagers.
 7. The method of claim 6(b),wherein said dealer may use multiple decks of cards.
 8. The method ofclaim 6(d), wherein said player's card may be dealt face up or facedown, while the banker's first card is dealt face up.
 9. The method ofclaim 6(e)(l), wherein a gaming establishment operator may choose not toallow surrender of a player's hand.
 10. The method of claim 6(g),wherein said dealer places said player's discarded card in a discardrack.
 11. The method of claim 6(h), wherein the pre-determined criterionof 5-point may be changed to higher or lower.
 12. The method of claim6(k), wherein a hand consists of an Ace and an 8=9-point beats a handconsists of a King and a 9=9-point, a hand consists of a K and a 9 beatsa hand consists of a Q and a 9, a hands consists of a Q and a 9 beats ahand consists of a J and a 9, a hand consists of a J and a 9 beats ahand consists of a 10 and a 9, a hand consists of a 10 and a 9 beats ahand consists of a 7, and a 2, a hand consists of a 7 and a 2 beats ahand consists a 6 and a 3, a hand consists of a 6 and a 3 beats a handconsists of a 5 and a 4, and etc., a hand consists of a Q and a10=0-point beats a hand consists of a J and a 10=0-point, a handconsists of an 8 and a 5=3-point beats a hand consists of a 7 and a6=3-point, and etc.
 13. The method of claim 6(l), wherein said dealercollects each player's cards and places them in a discard rack rightafter the wagers are settled.
 14. A method of playing a card game amonga banker and a plurality of players, each player wagering against thebanker's hand, the method comprising: (a) providing a wagering surfaceor a table for the placement of wagers; (b) providing and shuffling oneconventional poker deck of 52 cards without a joker; (c) each playerplacing at least one wager against the banker's hand; (d) dealer dealingfirst and second cards into each player's and the banker's hand in aclockwise fashion ending with the banker; (e) player examining the firstand the second cards and electing to either (1) surrender his/her handand lose half of his/her original wager, or (2) put up an additionalwager equivalent to half of his/her original wager to discard one ofhis/her two cards and purchase a replacement card, or (3) stand pat withhis/her two cards; (f) dealer collecting half of a player's originalwager and returning the other half to said player, upon said playerelecting to surrender his/her hand; and picking up said player's cardsand placing them in a discard rack; (g) when a player elects to discardand draw one card, dealer collecting an amount equivalent to half ofsaid player's original wager, picking up said player's discarded cardbefore dealing a card to replace said player's discarded card; (h) uponall players having fully executed their hands, dealer turning overhis/her hole card, and stands if the total value of his/her two cards is5 point or above; (i) dealer discarding and drawing one card if thetotal value of dealer's two cards is below 5; (j) dealer discarding thecard that has less point value and retaining the card that has a higherpoint value, e.g., getting rid of the 10 if his/her hand consists of a Jand a 10; and getting rid of the Ace if his/her hand consists of an Aceand a Deuce; (k) comparing each player's hand against the banker's,wherein hands are compared in descending ranking order as follows: ahand containing a pair of Aces beats a hand containing a pair of Kings;a hand containing a pair of Kings beats a hand containing a pair ofQueens; a hand containing a pair of Queens beats a hand containing apair of Jacks; a hand containing a pair of Jacks beats a hand containinga pair of Tens; a hand containing a pair of Tens beats a hand containinga pair of Nines; a hand containing a pair of Nines beats a handcontaining a pair of Eights; a hand containing a pair of Eights beats ahand containing a pair of Sevens; a hand containing a pair of Sevensbeats a hand containing a pair of Sixes; a hand containing a pair ofSixes beats a hand containing a pair of Fives; a hand containing a pairof Fives beats a hand containing a pair of Fours; a hand containing apair of Fours beats a hand containing a pair of Threes; a handcontaining a pair of Threes beats a hand containing a pair of Deuces; ahand containing a pair of Deuces beats a hand containing a total of 9points; a hand containing a total of 9 points beats a hand containing atotal of 8 points; a hand containing a total of 8 points beats a handcontaining a total of 7 points; a hand containing a total of 7 pointsbeats a hand containing a total of 6 points; a hand containing a totalof 6 points beats a hand containing a total of 5 points; a handcontaining a total of 5 points beats a hand containing a total of 4points; a hand containing a total of 4 points beats a hand containing atotal of 3 points; a hand containing a total of 3 points beats a handcontaining a total of 2 points; a hand containing a total of 2 pointsbeats a hand containing a total of 1 point; a hand containing a total of1 point beats a hand containing a total of zero point; (1) dealersettling wagers with each player in a clockwise direction; collectingwagers on a losing hand, and rewarding winning hands with equal wagers.[when the dealer's and a player's hands contains the same pair or thesame point value with two identical cards, e.g., 4, 5 vs. 4, 5, it is atie or a push];
 15. The method of claim 14(b), wherein said dealer mayuse multiple decks of cards.
 16. The method of claim 14(d), wherein saidplayer's card may be dealt face up or face down, while the banker'sfirst card is dealt face up.
 17. The method of claim 14(e)(l), wherein agaming establishment operator may choose not to allow a player surrenderhis/her hand.
 18. The method of claim 14(h), wherein the pre-determinedcriterion of 5-point may be changed to higher or lower.
 19. The methodof claim 14(k), wherein a hand consists of an Ace and an 8=9-point beatsa hand consists of a King and a 9=9-point, a hand consists of a K and a9 beats a hand consists of a Q and a 9,a hands consists of a Q and a 9beats and hand consists of a J and a 9, a hand consists of a J and a 9beats a hand consists of a 10 and a 9, a hand consists of a 10 and a 9beats a hand consists of a 7, and a 2, a hand consists of a 7 and a 2beats a hand consists a 6 and a 3, a hand consists of a 6 and a 3 beatsa hand consists of a 5 and a 4, and etc., a hand consists of a Q and a10=0-point beats a hand consists of a J and a 10=0-point, a handconsists of an 8 and a 5=3-point beats a hand consists of a 7 and a6=3-point, and etc.
 20. The method of claim 14(l), wherein said dealercollects each player's cards and places them in a discard rack rightafter the wagers are settled.